All the artificers at Sheerness are to be henceforth, until further orders, put on what is termed job and task work on unlimited earnings, and all labourers now employed, whether on the establishment or temporarily hired, whose weekly wages do not amount to 14s. Per week, are to have their pay raised to that sum. All extra time to be paid for. Provisions and stores of every description are ordered to be forthwith taken on board the screw steam guard-ship of ordinary Royal George, 102 guns, Captain Superintendent John C. Fitzgerald, and the screw steam guardship of steam reserve Cressy, 80 guns, Captain Edward P. Halsted, &c. If required for immediate service they are ordered to be manned from the different Coastguard stations attached to their district. The ships now under fitment at Sheerness, in the fitting basin and in dry dock, are the Majestic screw steamship, 80 guns; the Colossus screw steamship, 80 guns; the new screw steamship Hero, 91 guns; the Terrible paddle-wheel steam frigate, 21 guns; the new screw steam frigate Emerald, 51 guns, and sundry gunboats.

We 8 September 1858

The Commander-in-Chief at Sheerness, on the 6th inst. inspected the Colossus, 80 guns, the Royal George, 102 guns, the Emerald, 51 guns, and the Scout, 21 guns, all advanced screw steamships, an Admiralty order having been received to report what time wonld be required to get them ready for foreign service.